Dems look on the bright side

Kathleen Ricker, petite and wearing red cowboy boots, took to the stage when the dust had settled and convinced the crowd at the Mining Exchange's Gold Room to join in her a chant.

"We are," she shouted, stomping her boot on the stage.

And the crowd chanted back loudly, "Peak Dems."

This wasn't a great night for the Chair of the El Paso County Democratic Party, or any of her fellow partygoers. Their great hope for a Democratic County Commissioner? Quashed. It was clear early on that District 5 Candidate Jariah Walker wasn't going to beat incumbent Peggy Littleton. As expected, candidates for long-shot state house seats in conservative districts were clear losers. Less expected, incumbent Rep. Tony Exum, in House District 17, appeared to be losing to perennial Republican candidate Kit Roupe. (She eventually triumphed — though Exum was considered popular, the seat is known to flip every election.)

Sean Cayton

"Hello, Peggy? This is Jariah." Jariah Walker concedes the race in County Commission District 5 to Peggy Littleton.

And then there were the big losses: Sen. Mark Udall falling to Republican Cory Gardner and Irv Halter losing his bid to take incumbent U.S. Rep. Doug Lamborn's seat. What's more, it wasn't yet clear that Gov. John Hickenlooper would hold his office (it appears now that he will).

So why the jubilance? Well, El Paso County Democrats aren't strangers to disappointment. As Ricker put it, "We win some, we lose some, but we still have a voice."

Sean Cayton

A member of the crowd reacts to the election results.

And though the midterms proved a boon for Republicans nationwide, the news wasn't all bad for Democrats in conservative El Paso County. Democrat Rep. Pete Lee kept his seat, and Mike Merrifield took back Senate District 11 from Sen. Bernie Herpin, who won the seat in a recall election that saw the ouster of then-Senate President John Morse.

"It feels good to take this seat back," Merrifield said, his eyes twinkling.